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---> Gorno Brodi and the Clan
Halembakovi
Gorno Brodi – a Source of Bulgarian
Spirit
 In
the Southern part of Pirin mountain, between the
mountain chains of Cherna Gora, Sharalia, and Zmiinitza,
at 1100 meters altitude, is situated a big ancient
Bulgarian village, called Gorno Brodi.
The narrow distance between the mountains Sharalia and
Zmiinitza is the only slit through which the waters of
the Gorno Brodi river can flow out to the field. This
narrow slit is the only mountain ford through which one
can enter in the wonderful recess of Gorno Brodi village
– a buried and fascinating beautiful place.
The waters of the Gorno Brodi river that come from the
mountain Cherna Gora were dragging down to the village
lots of black sand, full with magnetite from which the
villagers obtained iron.
In this wonderful piece of land in the mountain the
inhabitants of Gorno Brodi developed many crafts and
preserved to the highest rate the Bulgarian name, the
Bulgarian liberty-loving spirit, the traditional
diligence and the pure love for the motherland.
In Gorno Brodi village were born many Bulgarian heroes –
Hadji Dimko Hadjiivanov, Dimko Stoianov Halembakov,
Georgi Zhilev, Voivode Ziumbil, Voivode Georgi Radev,
Atanas Sveshtarov (part of Hristo Botev’s group), Dimo
Hadjidimov, Dimitar Shimbalakov, Ivan Smatrakalev,
Georgi Badjarov, Atanas Nikov, Georgi Stamboliev, the
glorious Kipra Shopkina and many other national sons and
daughters.
Mainly responsible for transforming Gorno Brodi village
into a source of Bulgarian national spirit is the person
named Hadji Dimko Hadjiivanov, who had been a many year
non-replaced mayor of the village in the 30s of the 18th
century and to Dimko Stoianov Halembakov, the tax
collector of the village.
The two clans of Hadjidimkovi and Halembakovi divided
among themselves the spheres of activities –
Hadjidimkovi were in charge of the administrative,
spiritual and cultural development of the village, which
meant that they were responsible for the commune,
school, and the church. Halembakovi on the other hand
created and developed an economic sphere for many new
crafts, mostly based on iron-stone manufacturing and
trade.
These two clans were the organizers and inspirers of the
patriotic and public spirited society of Gorno Brodi and
they were living in full harmony and agreement with each
other. During the revolutionary fight against the
Ottoman feudal tyranny and its attempts to infringe the
Bulgarian schools and churches, the two clans
collaborated and together, they stood all sufferings,
fines, beatings (some of them were imprisoned in Ser and
Thessaloniki) by the Turkish authorities. Thus, the two
clans became a tough structure of the revolutionary,
craftsman, and the cultural life of the village.
This atmosphere brought together all residents of the
village in indestructible unity and strong national
patriarchal spirit.
Gorno Brodi village was increasing its population,
developing even further its economy and it was turning
into one of the most prominent Bulgarian villages,
symbol of the strong national spirit. Based on a tax
document / taken from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences/
at the end of 1844 there were 753 families with 8 862
residents of the village – this means that in each house
there were approximately 12 people.
Dimko Stoianov Halembakov must also receive special
merits for the strengthening of the “small village
republic” since he was the first iron-stone
manufacturer, who started to obtain “samokov iron” from
Gorno Brodi village.
Dimko Halembakov had five sons – Dimitar ( born 1853),
Nikola ( born 1859), Georgi ( born 1861), Atanas (
1865), Hristo ( 1874), and two daughters – Geveza (
1857) and Katerina ( 1863).
Being an extremely talented master, the old Dimkov
involved all of his sons in his profession. Since their
youth, they were often visiting the workshop of their
father so they could help him and learn the craft. The
young manufacturers of iron-stone soon became better
than their father and reached a proficiency level in
their work. Dimko and his sons helped in the development
of five basic craft classes: “rudari”, “vuglari”, “peshcheri”,
“samokovari” and “kuznari”. The talents of Dimkov’s sons
emerged into the creation of the first lathe (machinery
tool) in Gorno Brodi village. Their enterprise way of
thinking and their talent contributed to even bigger
perfection in terms of crafts – that is how fine crafts,
such as word-carving, drafting, painting, casting of
jewelry and bells from bronze. The three brothers Atanas,
Dimitar, and Georgi built the first mechanical town
clock in Gorno Brodi village and assembled it in the
tower of the village. Such town clocks they assembled in
many other villages and towns in Bulgaria. The town
clock in Blagoevgrad, which still works, is also made by
the Dymcoff brothers.
People, such as Gotze Delchev, Yane Sandanski and Peyo
Yavorov often visited and stayed at their house.
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